Xanthan gum: viscosifying and stabilizing agent

Xanthan gum is a heteropolysaccharide synthesized by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.

This polymer is marketed essentially as a powder obtained by precipitating the polysaccharide contained in the fermentation wort using a polar organic solvent.

Although its price is relatively high, xanthan gum has many and varied industrial applications, thanks to its exceptional rheological properties. The global market, estimated at over 30,000 t/year, is growing at a steady rate of over 5% a year.

Xanthan gum is used in oil recovery, in the manufacture of cement and mortar for the construction industry, in the cosmetics industry, notably in shampoos and shower gels to facilitate the use of detergents, in the formulation of paints, and more.

But it is in the food industry that the rheological properties of xanthan gum find their main applications. This article reviews them.